Free extras

Often the culture is viewed as a solid, stable element of a civilization. Historically, different civilizations developed their unique cultures. This is why often the problem of the cultural counter balancing is ignored since culture is viewed as a dominant force, which does not encounter and counter action, but, in actuality, cultural counter balancing plays a very important role and even determines the cultural development and progress.

First of all, it should be said that it is impossible to ignore the existence of cultural counter balancing. In fact, cultural development is really a very complicated process and cultural changes take a long time to get implemented in the life of society (Russell 2003). This is why people often believe that culture remains in a permanent state of harmony. However, this harmony is rather superficial because it is determined by the dominance of one culture over others, while, in actuality, there is a huge cultural diversity because each ethnic group and even small community has its own particular culture. This means that there inevitable exist different culture, which be oppressed or to weak to be noticed in the context of the dominant culture.

At the same time, the dominance of one culture over others, inevitably leads to the counter action of oppressed cultures. Hence, people attempt to find the alternative culture, which could be different, though not obligatory better, from the dominant one. As a result, the opposition and cultural counter action leads to the change of the cultural balance. Such a change may be defined as a cultural revolution (Robbins 1999). One of the examples of such cultural counter balancing, or cultural revolutions is the hippie movement in the 1960s which was a challenge to the dominant culture and traditional values.

Thus, it is impossible to deny the existence of cultural counter balancing because it contradicts to both logics and empirical data.